Chiang Rai hit again by landslide, flash flood

CHIANG RAI, 10 July 2014 – The northernmost province of Chiang Rai has been hit again by landslides and flash floods following three days of abundant raining.

Heavy raining over the past three days has triggered a landslide that threw dirt onto the Mae Chan-Doi Mae Salong Rd., effectively making the route impassable. Officials had to bring in excavators to clear a small path through the 50-meter stretch of dirt to allow cars to pass. As many as a thousand families in 8 districts of Chiang Rai have reportedly been afflicted by the heavy raining. Flooding has also been reported in Thoeng District.

The provincial administration has issued a hazards warning in all 18 districts, urging people to be on guard against forest runoffs, landslides and mudslides until Saturday.

The Meteorological Department warned on Wednesday that strong winds and heavy seas will prevail in provinces lining the Andaman coast and the Gulf of Thailand until Monday (July 14).